Marc Climbs up the steps
The trail
A shaken Marc began climbing the rickety steps to get to the top of his hill. The steps used to be solid mud. Due to the site’s closure, they are overgrown with weeds and other plant life. No one has taken care of this place since 1988. People have visited. Fires have raged. Bears have walked the site. Now Marc is walking with a mission.
Wearing his trusted Timberlands, he hiked to the original site of his leanto and prayed. He went to the cinder blocks that held the Palace. He fell to the floor. He went where the treehouse used to be. He kept hiking. He flashbacked to 1986 when he won the camp top leadership elections all but one week. The kid who beat him was his buddy. He went into the health lodge immediately after winning. By default, Marc assumed the role. When the guy came back from the health lodge, he rested. All was good. They played U2, Depeche Mode and Steely Dan in their leanto. Marc hated Steely Dan. His buddy hates U2 and Depeche Mode. A few leantos away, Metallica blasted.
He walked in the direction of the ‘ole latrine. Long torched. One of his leaders who went in buckets possibly was the last to use this latrine. We will never really know.
Marc has approached the site of the latrine and looking for the tip-pan. Suddenly, the world stopped. He paused. Alana was a few feet behind him. She wanted to give him his space. But she knew he was fragile. She had to watch him.
All was silent. The breeze turned into a stronger wind. The animals stood still. For a mere few seconds, Marc shut his eyes. Upon opening them, he was surrounded by a herd of bison. He fell to his knees. As he hit the ground, he saw the Woodsman.
“Marc, you need to stay strong. You’re one of the last. Forces are trying to destroy the lovely grounds we were raised on. You know I’ve been patrolling this area since the beginning of time. I’ve seen a lot. With your leadership, we will see more. Different, but we survive.”
Originally published at http://mitchellthoughtsblog.wordpress.com on January 2, 2022.
